It is that time of year again to send Christmas cards to your employees and clients. From a business perspective, you may not want to send the cute Christmas cards you would send to your family and friends. You also want to make sure you are careful if you choose to select Christian greeting cards, as not all of your employees and clients may be Christian. A safer way to go may be to select business Christmas cards. You can select many different styles and messages, so you're sure to be making the most of Christmas cards for your business.

Business Christmas card designs can be any that reflect holiday wishes and cheer, instead of specific holidays. If you choose to select specific holiday cards for each employee and client, choose personalized Christmas cards that wish them the happiest of their holiday. You may also want to consider sending your Christmas cards online as a simpler option.

1. Choose a business Christmas card message and design to reflect a general holiday greeting.

2. Send a personalized Christmas holiday card to each employee and client to represent their specific holiday.

3. Send personalized Christmas cards to your employees and clients online.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Select a simple Christmas holiday card to wish happy holidays

When choosing your business Christmas card designs, be sure to find one that will not offend anyone who does not celebrate Christmas. A safer way to go may be to select a Christmas holiday card. There are many designs that do not depict a religion, and simply send holiday cheer.

I recommend: The Gallery Collection offers a wide selection of business Christmas cards. Cards Direct has over 1,500 holiday cards to select from.

Send personalized Christmas cards to each employee and client

If you prefer to add a personal touch to your business Christmas cards, you can order personalized cards to send to your employees and clients. This will allow you to send a card that celebrates their specific holiday. Be sure to make your list of how many of each card you'll need so you don't over- or under-order. Many card companies have a wide variety of cards to celebrate each holiday, so you can still find a design you like.

I recommend: 123 Greetings offers a variety of styles to choose from for the holidays. Mixed Blessings offers a unique blend of holiday cards.

Send Christmas cards online

If you have a long list of employees and clients that celebrate different holidays, you may want to consider sending personalized online Christmas cards. Although this will take you a little longer, careful planning will allow you to get them out on time. You can select the specific date you want the card sent to the receiver. You can also choose the layout, and personalize each card for everyone in your business e-mail address book.

I recommend: Hallmark has a wide selection for all of the holidays. Cardstore.com offers choices for each of the holidays.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  For personalized cards, be sure to choose a business Christmas card message that's appropriate so send to your employees and clients.

A Christmas holiday card acknowledges your customers and business contacts at year’s end and is an important step in establishing and maintaining good client relationships. And ordering your Christmas cards online has never been easier. Before you start licking that stamp, however, there are a few decisions that must be made. With a dizzying selection of custom Christmas cards available online, here are some points to remember before diving in:

1. What is my budget for corporate Christmas cards?
2. What should be the overall tone of my business Christmas message and design?
3. Do I want to order generic or custom Christmas cards?

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Shop around and plan ahead for the best Christmas holiday card deals

Many companies offer significant savings if you place your order earlier in the year. Mark your calendar as a reminder and reap the benefits. Research several different companies before placing an order, as the price differences between companies for Christmas cards can be considerable. Keep in mind that most companies offer discounts for larger orders. You may find that ordering more than you think you will need will not only save you from running out, but will also save you money.

I recommend: The Gallery Collection and Holiday Classics cater specifically to businesses.

Christian greeting cards vs. general Christmas holiday cards

Taking a moment to determine the image you want to portray in your Christmas card design will help to narrow down the seemingly endless available Christmas holiday card choices. Determine if religious or Christian greeting cards are suitable for your business, or if a more generic design would be more appropriate. Other choices to consider beforehand include contemporary vs. traditional Christmas card designs and formal vs. casual business Christmas messages.

I recommend: Both Design Crafters and FineStationery.com carry a large assortment of Christian greeting cards.

Making a statement with custom Christmas cards

Custom Christmas cards may make sense if you want your business Christmas cards to stand out. A logo, photograph or recognizable company design will likely prove to be eye-catching and memorable for the recipient. The cost for personalized Christmas cards can be significantly higher than standard, generic Christmas cards, but may deliver a stronger impact.

I recommend: Many online photo services like Shutterfly and VistaPrint allow you experiment with a variety of Christmas card designs by uploading a complete design, using a design template or even receiving free design help.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Set aside time before the holidays to address and send your Christmas holiday cards to deliver them to your clients in a timely manner and to eliminate the last-minute rush.
• •  Signing your business Christmas cards instead of ordering them pre-printed adds a personal touch that your customers appreciate.
• •  Don't forget that business Christmas cards can serve as a great tool for introducing yourself to potential clients.

Many businesses send out a Christmas holiday card to each customer, and sometimes to each employee. These cards have become a time honored tradition symbolizing the recipient's importance to the company. Whether you send out Christian greeting cards or general holiday well wish cards, the recipient is sure to appreciate the gesture.

However, many business owners find that this tradition can get expensive. Regardless of the style of card you send, saving money on Christmas cards for your business can help your bottom line. Consider the following suggestions to minimize the effect these cards have on your budget:

1. Save on postage by sending Christmas cards online.

2. Plan ahead to take advantage of off season sales on personalized Christmas cards.

3. Combine discounts to save as much as possible, even if Christmas is right around the corner.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Send electronic business Christmas cards

Sending out a Christmas holiday card to each of your business contacts is an expensive venture simply because postage costs so much. An alternative to sending out real cards to is to send out electronic greeting cards. For businesses worried that the card will end up in a Spam or Junk folder, there are some simple ways to prevent this. First, send out your cards in sets of 100 and change the subject line for each group. Second, work with a reputable company that offers electronic notifications when the card is opened.

I recommend: CorpNote offers a subscription service for e-cards that can save your company money on business Christmas cards. As an added bonus, members can send out thank you cards and other e-cards throughout the year. Card Fountain offers over 1,000 business e-cards. While this company offers a free two week trial, it is better to purchase a subscription so your customers can reply to your greetings for free.

Take advantage of off season sales on corporate Christmas cards

One of the easiest ways to save money on business Christmas cards is to order the cards during the 'off season,' which is typically from mid-January until the end of August. An added bonus to ordering your cards during this time is that the cards are usually sent to you faster since there aren't a lot of them being ordered. This may prove to be a big plus if you plan to hand sign each card to add that personal touch. This is beneficial even if you purchase custom Christmas card designs that feature your company logo.

I recommend: Holiday Classics offers year round discounts for ordering large quantities of corporate Christmas cards. From January until August, this company offers an additional 40 percent off their regularly discounted prices. Brookhollow sells personalized Christmas cards. This company offers discounts up to 40 percent off if you order before the fall months. However, even if Christmas is right around the corner, this company offers quantity discounts for large orders.

Find companies that offer multiple discounts on custom Christmas cards

Some companies offer quantity discounts that can save your company between $1 and $2. Even if you don't need the number of cards required for the discount, you may want to consider ordering cards for more than one year, which will cost you more when you order, but it will save you money the following year. For added savings, consider using a company that offers free or discounted personalization and/or free shipping.

I recommend: Christmas Cards Direct offers personalized Christmas cards year round. This company offers quantity discounts, which can save your company up to $1.20 per card. CardsDirect offers numerous savings opportunities. Flat rate ground shipping and up to four personalized lines of text for free are two of the money saving features of this company.

If you plan to send Christmas cards this holiday season, you have several options, whether you want to send them to your employees, clients or both. Due to the wide variety of choices available, you should be aware of Christmas cards pricing and costs before you shop. Otherwise, deciding on a card and making sure it's within your budget can be overwhelming.

Checking out Christmas cards online is a great way to estimate how much you will spend on cards this year. Consider the prices of some of the main card types:

1. Personalize your corporate Christmas cards with a photo.
   
2. Keep it simple with traditional cards.
   
3. Buy cards in bulk to save time and money.
   

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Purchase a Christmas holiday card that holds a photo

If handing out personalized Christmas cards is important to you, consider using cards that allow you to include a photo. Whether you put in a photo of yourself or a picture of your team is up to you, but clients and employees alike will appreciate the personal touch of a photo card. You can buy custom Christmas cards that hold photos for about $1 to $2 each, depending on how many you buy at once.

I recommend: ChristmasCardsDirect sells Christmas photo cards for about $2 each when you buy 25, or $1 when you buy 500 at once. Pear Tree Greetings sells photo cards for $.90 per card when you buy 25 at once.

Buy traditional Christmas cards for clients

If you just want a simple Christmas message for business clients or employees, check out traditional cards online. You can buy one at a time or several at once to save money, but either way, there are plenty of business Christmas card designs with a traditional message to choose from. Expect to pay $.60 to $3, depending on how many you buy at once and how thick the cardstock is.

I recommend: You can buy traditional cards at cardstore.com for about $2.75 per card, or about $1.60 when you buy 100 at one time. Curiosities Greeting Cards sells traditional cards for $.50 to about $3, depending on the designs and quality of the cardstock.

Get several business Christmas cards at once in bulk packs

If you plan to send several Christmas greetings, save yourself some time and money by buying whole packs of cards at one time. You can often choose between packs of 5, 20, 100, and everything in between. You can expect to spend between $85 and $150 for a package of 100 cards, or around $5 for a pack of 5. As a rule of thumb, budget for about $.85 to $1.50 per card.

I recommend: Christian greeting cards are available from Doodle Greetings for $5 for a 5-pack and $85 for a 100-pack. A pack of 50 assorted Christmas cards is $75 at CardsDirect.